Bringing herbalism & baking together

Lemon Balm Walnut Crescent Cookies

I am a descendant of recipe collectors both sides, my father’s mother and my mom; it is strong in my genes. But I am not sorry for this because their hand written recipe cards accumulate as my treasures and settling down with a pile of recipe sources to sift through has always been a comforting pleasure.

When I moved to Florida for college, my grandmother lived there. On weekends we watched cooking show after cooking show resting on twin beds in her bedroom after a morning of my helping her with shopping errands. At that time cooking shows were only aired on PBS, no cable food channels existed. After she always prepared a yummy and easy dinner for us, never what we had just watched, she was fast and recipe-less. She was usually critical of the programs and called them fussy, except Julia Child, who she loved. She was addicted to collecting recipes, though, mostly those she clipped from the newspaper. She had boxes of little pieces of paper and also notecards on which she had scratched a recipe from a friend or a box or anywhere she could find something that looked good to her. She left Florida to move back to Pittsburgh when it got hard for her to live on her own. I inherited her prized recipe collection and spent hours transferring them to typed notecards, then throwing away the newspaper because I thought this would preserve them better and also organize them, it was before computers and recipe apps. Now I actually wish I had kept the newspaper as well because she had made notes on some of them and I miss her. I still have the notecards, all of them.

Around the same time, I had a few years of big holiday baking projects. One of the recipes from my grandma’s collection was a favorite, walnut crescents. This year it became my muse. I think my grandma would love it.

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Lemon Balm Walnut Crescent Cookies

Lemon balm syrup, adds a twist to a melt-in-your-mouth festivity. The left-over lemon balm tea, a special treat for the baker, soothes the soul, calms a frazzled nerve and makes baking more fun.

Servings

Prep Time

72cookies

20minutes, plus refrigeration and syrup preparation

Cook Time

25minutes

Servings

Prep Time

72cookies

20minutes, plus refrigeration and syrup preparation

Cook Time

25minutes

Print

Lemon Balm Walnut Crescent Cookies

Lemon balm syrup, adds a twist to a melt-in-your-mouth festivity. The left-over lemon balm tea, a special treat for the baker, soothes the soul, calms a frazzled nerve and makes baking more fun.

Servings

Prep Time

72cookies

20minutes, plus refrigeration and syrup preparation

Cook Time

25minutes

Servings

Prep Time

72cookies

20minutes, plus refrigeration and syrup preparation

Cook Time

25minutes

Ingredients

For lemon balm syrup

1/2ozdried lemon balm

3 cuphot water

1 cuporganic granulated sugar

For cookies

¼cupbrazil nuts

2 1/4cupwalnuts

3 1/4cuporganic all-purpose flour

3/4tspcinnamon

1 1/2 cuporganic unsalted butter, softened

3/4cuplemon balm syrup

1tbspvanilla extract

1 1/2cuppowdered sugar

Units:

Instructions

For lemon balm syrup

Brew a strong lemon balm tea by placing dried lemon balm leaves into a brewing vessel such as a French coffee press. Pour in hot water. Cover and steep for 30 minutes. Strain, measuring 1 cup (8oz) of tea.

Can prepare up to 48 hours in advance and store refrigerated in glass container.

Note: If you have leftover tea from brewing, drink this while you are preparing the cookies or anytime to add a special gift of calm and enhance your lemon balm relationship. Dilute slightly with additional water and sweeten with a bit of honey if desired. Drink either hot or cold.

For cookies

Grind Brazil nuts in food processor until coarsely chopped. Add walnuts and continue to process until all nuts are ground fine. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and cinnamon. Set aside.

In another large mixing bowl or bowl of electric mixer, beat together butter, lemon balm syrup and vanilla extract until blended. This can be done by hand or with an electric mixer, either way it will not get completely smooth which is fine.

Stir flour mixture into butter and syrup mixture. Add gradually mixing with a wooden spoon until combined after each addition. Add ground nuts and mix until completely incorporated.

Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until well chilled and easy to handle. May also refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into 2-inch long logs. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart and form into crescent shapes.

Comments

These lemon balm crescent cookies are so delicate and delicious. I am curious about the use of herbs as additives to my baking, especially my traditional recipes for the holidays. Thank you Dina for sharing!

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I’m Dina, a Registered Dietitian and Herbalist. Incorporate herbs into baking with me and realize the natural nourishment for a healthier, more economically responsible, more independent ability to better care for yourself and your family.

Contact me to help navigate through your own culinary herbalism. I am available for private consultation as a nutritionist, herbalist or both. I would love to hear from you if you have a story, comment, or question, email me anytime!